1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a foldable handle for a spinning reel for fishing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A spinning reel for fishing usually has a handle which extends outwardly so that it may not abut against a rotor or spool having a relatively large diameter. The handle is, therefore, foldable for storage or transportation. The handle is, however, secured to a handle shaft by a screw, and this screw is loosened or tightened to fold or unfold the handle. Therefore, the folding or unfolding operation cannot be performed quickly. Moreover, when the fishing line is taken up, the screw is likely to get loosened, resulting in the jolting of the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,127 issued to the assignee of the inventor of this invention discloses a spinning reel having a handle arm pivotally mounted on a handle shaft, and a slide button having an inner end connected to a wedge-shaped slide key, the slide button being slidable along the length of the handle arm and urged by a spring into locking engagement with a space between the end of the handle shaft and the handle arm. According to this arrangement, the handle arm can easily and quickly be raised into its operative position or retracted into its folded position, and can reliably be held in its raised position.
The spinning reel disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,127, however, still has disadvantages. The handle arm lies in parallel to the handle shaft when it is folded. This requires the handle shaft to be sufficiently long to enable the storage of the handle arm. Therefore, the handle shaft has a considerably great length. There is a limitation to the possibility of shortening the handle knob. When the handle arm is folded, the handle shaft and the handle arm connected thereto project laterally from one side of the reel body by a large distance. This distance of projection cannot be shortened in the conventional spinning reel.